


Roomies

by XxByImm



Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: And it keeps happening, F/M, Fluff, Swearing, Tiny bit of Angst, also sexual tension, because i'm trash, sorry not sorry!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:14:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24020389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxByImm/pseuds/XxByImm
Summary: Richard and you have been roommates for a few years. After a particular bad monday morning, his personal assistant manages to screw it up even more, and Richard loses his cool. Luckily, you are there.
Relationships: Richard Armitage x reader, Richard Armitage x you, Richard Armitage/Reader, Richard Armitage/You
Kudos: 27





	Roomies

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> Ages ago, my sister from another mister on Tumblr Deepestfirefun left me an elaborate RA x reader request. I finally gave myself time to scribble it down, and well- the ones who know me can guess how this goes. This SHORT fic expanded... and expanded... and expanded. 
> 
> There's angry Richard, cute Richard and of course a little bit sexy Richard, because I can't just contain myself. What else is new, huh?
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> xoxo

So far, this morning sucked. 

Richard was leaning against the kitchen counter, holding his right hand under the lukewarm stream that came from the faucet. The tips of his fingers were throbbing painfully from their recent encounter with the stove. Usually he was a careful man, but apparently caution had left the building today. 

Just like his patience.  
He really didn’t have time for this today. But yet here he stood, wasting away all those precious minutes after he already should have ran out the door. To make matters worse, it was a Monday. And though Richard used to belong to the group of people that defended poor Mondays’ honor against all the haters, this particular one was proving it hard for him to NOT see the pessimistic point of view. 

It started with the obvious fact that he, Richard Armitage, had overslept. That never happened and he still didn’t understand how it did, since he clearly remembered settling an alarm for this morning. Then, after a strangled FUCK erupted from his throat and he managed to stumble out of bed, he tripped over his own shoes in his hurry to get to the shower.  
That one was on him, really. If he hadn’t been so lazy yesterday night after coming home, it could have been averted. That was also true for the discovery that laundry day should have happened a week ago. 

After a quick shower, he did pause a moment over that same laundry basket and considered the possibility of calling his personal assistant and asking her to send someone to do it, but it sounded so extremely obnoxious and arrogant it made him cringe. Yes, he had forgotten to send his tailored suit to the dry cleaners and yes that was his fault, but… He needed the damn thing tonight and there was no gap in his busy schedule where he could possibly bring it himself.

While he still was pondering if asking his PA these things would make him a huge dick or not, he quickly changed in a comfortable jumper, black jeans and a pair of Happy Socks that you, his roommate, had gotten him for Christmas. Then he hurried down the staircase and back up because -WHERE WERE THOSE SHOES AGAIN- and into the kitchen. 

Coffee. 

Especially on days like these, he needed his beloved Moka Express to save his mood. He put it on the stove, filled the container with water and the filter with coffee. Then he turned on the gas and waited impatiently for the cafetière to do its’ work. His fingers drummed on the kitchen counter. He hated coffee on the go, but a glance on his watch told him that he should have left his home five minutes ago. 

Fine. This left him no other option than borrowing your plastic ‘boss babe’ travel mug. Just when he reached into the cabinet and found the purple monstrosity on the shelf amongst the hoard of cleaned takeout containers, his phone rung. In his haste to see who would call him this early in the morning, Richard did not notice that the lid of the mug was loose. And as it slipped from the cup, it took the whole pile of plastic down with it. 

With the phone still ringing, Richard found the lid and left the mess in the corner for you to find. He wouldn’t say that he was mister cleanliness himself, but the way you stacked the Tupperware shelf was just ridiculous. You could have easily asked him to do it, since you were too tiny to reach the back of the shelf, but then again you also refused to buy a step stool to solve the whole problem. 

He slammed down the boss babe mug and was just in time to take the call, which turned out to be his PA. Turned out she didn’t have a certain foresight about his clothing for the premiere tonight, but she did inform he she had fucked up the one task he had entrusted to her: his schedule.  
And that was when he lost it.

♦♦♦♦

Someone was wreaking havoc in the kitchen. You were just walking down the steps, ready for another day at the office, when you heard what sounded like a stack of plastic falling down, and then your roommate’s low voice who shouting. Furrowing your brow, you tiptoed towards the kitchen and lingered behind the door.  
Up until now, the Richard you knew had been nothing but a kind and generous person. Though his tall and sometimes intimidating features could suggest otherwise, he really was this sweet, goofy guy who loved acting but wasn’t too fond of all the attention his work gained. In your opinion, it was almost impossible to make him mad…

‘No, this will NOT DO!’ Richard fumed against his phone. ‘HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! I TOLD YOU THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME- HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK-’  
Then he listened to the phone again. His face was twisted in a furious scowl and with his free hand he ruffled his hair angrily.  
‘So you tell me you can’t fix this.’ He growled and the tone sent shivers down your spine. ‘And now I’m forced to attend this shitshow while my family in the UK is-’ 

The Moka Express started to blow steam and Richard paused. The person on the other side of the line was talking fast. Richard shook his head. He turned the gas down and grabbed the cafetière before yanking it down on the counter. Your travel mug rocked to the side. In a flash, you saw Richard reaching for the metal pan support that had shifted on the hob. In his haste, he didn’t notice the fact that he reached too far, causing him to grab the part of metal that had been heated by the gas for the last few minutes… 

‘FUCK!’ he bellowed, letting go of the metal. With a loud clank, it landed on the hob again.  
‘FUCK, FUCK FUCK!’ Richard hissed as he moved quickly towards the sink and turned on the faucet. ‘No, I didn’t mean you. I had an accident. But just so you know.’ He told the person on the phone. ‘I don’t care how you’re going to fix this, but let me tell you one thing: tomorrow morning I’ll be on the flight to Britain.’

There was a long silence, where the person on the other end of the line frantically apologized for something and tried to explain themselves once more. You could only see Richard’s back, but the change in his demeanor. Whatever the news was, it wouldn’t be good. 

‘YOU DID WHAT?!’ he suddenly roared and beside the door, you nearly jumped. ‘HOW DARE YOU CANCEL MY FLIGHT! YOU BETTER FIX THIS, OR YOU’RE FIRED!’  
He then pushed the touch screen furiously, you assumed to end the call. When the poor piece of technology didn’t react quickly enough, Richard threw it through the kitchen. With a smack, it landed on the floor. 

‘Ahh. Fuck!’ he growled, turning his attention to his fingers again. ‘Fuck!’

You watched him for a few minutes, standing amidst the chaos in the kitchen. Though you couldn’t see his face, he now looked more defeated than anything. The water splashed in the sink. Being a clumsy girl yourself, you had burned yourself enough times to know all the tricks to treat burned skin.

‘That’s an awful amount of fucks this time in the morning…’ you carefully greeted your roomie as you pushed the door open. ‘What’s up?’  
‘It’s...’ Richard sighed heavily, turning a bit towards you. ‘I’m sorry. I seem to mess up everything I do today.’  
‘One of those days, huh?!’ you smiled while bending over to pick up Richard’s phone and inspecting it. ‘That’s still no reason to throw with your phone like that. You’re lucky it still works.’  
Richard groaned. ‘I don’t care.’

You noticed that the phone call with apparently his PA was still there, so you held it to your ear.  
‘Hey, it’s Y/N.’ you said to his PA. ‘He will call you back in a minute. Burned his hand on the stove.’ Before she could reply, you ended the call and put the phone on the counter. Then you made your way towards your roomie.  
‘So… will you tell me what’s going on?’ you inquired softly, while putting a hand on his shoulder. ‘You’re already late, so another 30 minutes is nothing.’  
‘I hate being late.’ Richard protested. ‘We squeezed in this meeting because I had no other option. And now I’ll miss half of it anyway.’  
‘Then you give them a call.’ You shrugged. ‘And on the bright side: you’re a celebrity. People will forgive extravagant behavior.’  
A faint smile crossed his face. ‘Stop that. You know I hate the fame.’  
You chuckled and rummaged through the cutlery tray until you found what you were looking for. ‘You keep that finger put for the few next minutes and tell me what has happened.’ You ordered him.

Richard watched you jump on the kitchen counter and sitting comfortably next to the sink. A tube with some ointment lay in your hand. 

‘As you probably would have guessed, I wasn’t having the greatest morning.’ He admitted. ‘And then my PA called.’  
You smiled sympathetically. ‘By the looks on your face it wasn’t good news she was bearing.’  
Richard grumbled. ‘No. She was ranting on about some important late night show where she got me in, and that she delayed my flight home from tomorrow morning to the day after.’  
‘Can she do that without speaking to you first?’ you inquired with a puzzled look on your face.  
‘Can’t remember she spoke with me about the matter.’ Richard replied. ‘And normally I wouldn’t be mad about it, but since the anniversary of my mum’s death is coming up…’  
‘Oh, Rich.’ You murmured, immediately understanding what set him off. ‘You wanted to spend that day with your family.’  
Richard nodded shortly. ‘Instead, it looks like I’ll be spending it alone, on the plane home.’  
‘You’re not going to accept this, are you?’ you questioned while motioning for him to come closer so you could inspect his fingers. He obliged and watched you supporting his wrist with one hand, and gently patting his fingers dry with a kitchen towel in the other one. The water was still running.  
‘I guess I have to.’ He finally said. ‘I don’t think I’ve got a choice.’  
‘We’ll see about that...’ You mentioned and grabbed the salve. ‘Turn off the faucet, love.’ 

You felt his gaze burning on you once more as you dabbed the salve onto his skin. Your fingertips laced his wrist and it caused a slight tingly sensation. A shiver, though pleasant this time, went through you. 

You had been living together with Richard for a few years now and the two of you had gotten to know each other quite well. You had been the typical small town girl, who had moved to the big city a few months before. After your latest landlord had given you the obvious choice of paying the increased, doubled rent or move out, you’d been looking for a new home.  
During that same time, Richard had been looking for a roommate. He obviously did not need the money, but since he lived in alternately in New York and London he found it ridiculous to leave his NY home empty when he couldn’t be there. So despite his PA and agent strongly advised against it, he put a advertisement in the local paper. His agent decided to screen potential roommates first and you were one of the few that made it to the second round.

Though both his employees redeemed it as impossible, you turned out to have no idea who Richard Armitage was, and he adored you for it. He led you through the house, showed you your room and once you both had settled down with a cup of coffee in the kitchen, it was time to discuss the agreement. By then, you still hadn’t asked him why he looked so familiar or if you could take a selfie with him. When Richard finally asked you if you knew who he was, you just stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Then a smile appeared, and you promised wholeheartedly that he wasn’t your type. 

In truth, you couldn’t care less if he was kind of famous or not and it sure as hell did not intimidate you. When you promised you wouldn’t fall in love, you meant it. Little did you then know that over time, the guy would disarm you little by little, and by the time you noticed you were falling head over heels with him, it was too late.  
But because of your promise, you didn’t say a word. You hid away your feelings and hoped they would somehow magically disappear, though the times he had accidently touched you proved you still had a long road to go. Sometimes you allowed yourself to wonder, what would happen if you’d tell. Would he already know?

‘Y/N.’ Richard said softly, pulling you from your thoughts. ‘I-’

Dear lord, you were holding onto him too long, weren’t you? Your cheeks burned and you quickly let him go whilst keeping your gaze glued your hands.  
‘That should do it.’ You said. ‘The salve should be absorbed by the next few minutes.’  
‘Thank you.’ He muttered awkwardly, stepping backwards. ‘I can be terribly clumsy sometimes. Erm- Would you like some coffee?’  
You glanced over at the cafetière on the counter and grinned. ‘You’d think I pass on the opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee brewed by the best barista in the house? Hell yes.’  
Richard laughed and picked two cups from the cabinet with one hand. ‘I’m already late, so I’d better salvage this morning ritual and take my time.’  
‘That’s the spirit.’ You hummed, watching him pour the dark liquid in the cups and offering you one. You took a sip and heaved a dreamy sigh. Perfect.  
‘You’re having an important meeting?’ he inquired, gesturing at your elegant attire. You shrugged and smoothed down your skirt.  
‘Nothing too special. There’s a new client that my boss’s keen on reigning in. She put me on it.’  
‘You’ll charm him or her, no doubt.’ Richard agreed, knowing you were an excellent consultant when it came to business. He leaned against the counter next to where you were seated and gave you a wink. ‘If it was me, I’d do anything you would advise me to…’

_If you’d advise him to ravish you right here and now, would he do that?_

‘Even if I tell you you should probably send your suit to the drycleaners before your big premiere tonight?’ you teased. ‘You can’t toss a suit that fine in the washing bin. Is it tailored?’  
‘It is.’ Richard grudgingly admitted. ‘But I don’t know where my lucky shirt is, so I probably end up renting something anyway.’  
‘Richard Armitage has a lucky shirt ánd a tailored suit?’ you chuckled. ‘Really?’  
‘You do know you signed the roommate agreement, right?’ Richard reminded you. ‘If you ever share this with the world, my reputation is in ruins.’  
‘I wouldn’t dare.’ You smirked. ‘You know every secret is safe with me. Talking about secrets…’  
‘Huh?’ he gulped, almost spilling his coffee over himself. 

_Oh clumsy, sexy man…_

‘Were you planning on nicking my beloved boss babe mug?’  
‘I was in a hurry.’ He explained with a pained face. ‘I’d never take that awful thing with me on purpose, I promise.’  
A giggle escaped you and you slapped him on his arm. ‘It’s not awful! It’s supposed to be empowering!’  
‘Ah, just as empowering as phrases like ‘best roommate ever’, I suppose.’ Richard joked.  
‘Okay!’ you challenged. ‘You owe me a travel mug what that exact print on it now.’  
He shook his head, smiling. ‘Fine. Shall I throw in a new copy of the Talon Saga by Julie Kagawa for you too, then? I feel sorry for that book in your purse, it’s manhandled and it deserves better.’  
‘Careful.’ You warned. ‘Don’t you dare to insult my baby.’

It was true. It was your favorite book of all time and everywhere you went, the book did go too. Richard knew you were reading it on the subway every day to work, because you refused to be sucked into the world of social media on your phone and rather enjoyed parts of your favorite story again. That was another thing you had in common. 

‘You really should try Audible.’ He suggested. ‘Then you have all the stories you’d possibly want available on your phone. I know it’s-’  
‘That is some shameless advertisement, I tell you that mister Armitage!’ you shrieked.  
He shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t work with them if I did not believe in the concept myself…’  
‘Uhuh.’  
‘Oh, Y/N.’ he murmured, draining the last of his coffee. ‘You’re too stubborn for your own good.’  
‘There are no points you can make this morning, mister throws-his-tailored-suit-in-washing-bin-Armitage.’  
‘You know, you almost sound like the wife I’ve never had…’  
You narrowed your eyes. ‘I will not iron your clothes, if that’s what you’re going for.’  
He put his cup on the counter. ‘Not even because of clausulae D of our contract?’  
‘Surely not, because that states the list of things in this home that belong to you!’ you objected.  
Richard held up his hands, clearly defeated. His eyes twinkled. ‘Looks like someone knows the agreement by heart.’  
‘I had no choice.’ You purred. ‘Since I never know when a certain someone will trick me into doing stuff for him.’  
‘Ahh. Please tell me I’m not that bad!’  
‘For a roommate you’re okay, I guess.’ You told him. ‘But as your imaginary wife, let me tell you that you have to try a lot harder.’  
He lifted a brow. ‘Any specific points for me to start working on?!’  
‘Chores like the laundry.’  
‘I have people for that.’ Richard answered with a smirk.  
‘Oh, watch that tone, mister arrogant!’  
‘I’d call it confident.’ He purred while nearing you.  
‘Uhuh.’ You managed to blurt out. 

_Goodness, what was he doing?_  
Your thoughts wouldn’t stop racing when he leaned in, his lips almost touching yours. Your heart hammered in your chest, blood pulsated through your veins. Shakily, you drew a breath.  
‘I’d like to take up another duty…’ he whispered against your lips. 

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

‘Oh, shit.’ He hissed, turning away and grabbing his phone that was causing all the commotion. ‘It’s Julia again. Is that the time already? I have to go now and somehow bring that sui-’  
‘I’ll do that.’ You promised. ‘And while I’m at it, I’ll see what I can do for you about that flight.’  
‘No, I couldn’t possibly ask that from you!’ Richard protested. ‘You have to work and-’  
‘Hush.’ You interrupted. ‘I dabbled in the wondrous world of personal assistants myself when I graduated college, remember? I have a few contacts left who are happy to return the favor I did them a few years back.’  
‘You are a dime.’ Richard exclaimed and moved forward. His mouth crashed into yours and for a short moment, you lost yourself. He had you writhing. Your skirt rode up your thighs as you moved your legs around his waist. Hips shoved against one another. Richard moaned when your fingers delved through his hair. 

Then his phone rang again. 

Richard groaned and tore himself away. He reached for his phone, but then hesitated and glanced over to you.  
‘Go.’ You breathed. ‘We’ll finish this later.’  
His hands cupped your cheeks. ‘Is that a promise?’  
You grinned. ‘No. It’s an order.’

♦♦♦♦

A week had gone by and you had to admit that you missed Richard’s presence. Suddenly you did check your phone every so often, to see if he had sent you a message. Though a few quick calls on your side had made sure that Richard’s suit was done just in time for the premiere and he got a seat on a plane to London early in the next morning, it meant too there hadn’t been time to discuss what happened between you. You knew you should leave it up to him and give him some time, but that didn’t mean you didn’t miss him.

You had already gone to bed when your phone beeped. You took it from your nightstand and blinked when the sharp light from the screen flashed. There was an email from one R.C.A. You opened the email, which contained a large audio file. A deep frown appeared on your forehead and you scrolled down to see the written message.  
It said this:  
_  
To the imaginary wife I’ve never had:_

_I’ve finally read your book myself and I must acknowledge I liked it more than I could have imagined. I hope you and your stubborn ass will enjoy this on the train to work…  
Can’t wait to kiss you again._

_RA x_


End file.
